Analyst: Obama may tout clean energy standard

President Barack Obama is expected to discuss renewable energy and touch on other energy and environment themes during tonight’s State of the Union speech, but those issues will likely take a back seat to others.

That’s the view of Washington policy analyst Christine Tezak, who monitors regulatory and congressional activity on energy and environment policy for Robert W. Baird & Co.

Those “issues are certainly important, but we expect them to get less attention than the deficit, the business tax agenda and preserving health care reform,” Tezak said in a research note.

Though he has declared “cap and trade” dead, Obama can be expected to discuss a renewable energy standard as well as focus on renewable transportation fuels.

Some Republicans are endorsing a “clean energy standard” that is more broadly defined than it was by Democrats. Such a standard would include electricity generated by nuclear power, which generates no greenhouse gas emissions.

And such a standard may find bipartisan support, given the link of energy development to job creation, she wrote.

“We don’t think Obama can completely abandon his clean energy constituency, and we believe he is still committed to a green economy agenda,” Tezak said. “Support for lower-carbon, less-polluting power resources (nuclear, clean coal) and energy efficiency in addition to renewables is an area where some Republicans have indicated a willingness to compromise.

“Both Republicans and Democrats are looking for ways to create more jobs. Green energy advocates may have to compromise too, with fiscal support looking more difficult in the future given the deficit,” she said.

Obama will follow up his speech with a visit to the Wisconsin energy efficient technology firm Orion Energy Systems in Manitowoc Wednesday.

About Thomas Content

Thomas Content covers energy, clean technology and sustainable business. A series he co-wrote on energy and climate change won top honors in 2008 from the National Press Foundation.

Energy Business News

Wisconsin companies see opportunities for new products and plenty of sales in the next decade in the emerging field of energy storage.

A new report commissioned for a Milwaukee-based energy collaborative suggests the global market for products in this market will grow by 400% by 2020 — with some segments forecast to grow at a clip of 40% a year.

Better battery technology can help businesses combine renewable energy with energy storage to shield themselves from high utility costs, particularly in costly energy markets like Hawaii, California or New York.(27)